An open letter to progressives in Blue States

Dear Fellow Progressives:

Once a month or so—whenever a Red State makes the news for a particularly outrageous incident—I’m bombarded with posts that go something like this:

I may see a little pushback to these posts, but for the most part people pile on.

Big time.

This blame-a-red-state-game appears to be quite an amusing activity.

Our beloved rural communities in red states deserve not to be abandoned.

Maybe take a minute?

As a blue dot in what I consider to be a wonderful purplish-red state, I’d like to pose a question to my fellow progressives who are writing these comments: Deep down, do you believe that derision and ridicule are helping us move our states forward? Are the many rural communities that make up Red States not worth the fight?

I can only speak for myself, but I can tell you how these comments make me feel, and that is demoralized, belittled, and unappreciated.

I’m guessing the folks who live in solid liberal enclaves don’t actually want progressives in Red States to call it quits. At least I hope this is the case. So, if I may be so bold, I’d like to offer a few things to think about before pressing the post button:

• Remember that, unlike Vegas, what happens in red states does NOT stay in Red States. If Democrats lack a convincing majority in the US legislature, our country will have a hard time putting guardrails back in place to protect our whole democratic process. That means every state counts. Beyond that, pollution doesn’t recognize state lines. Neither does an easily obtained gun. We’re all in this together.
• Consider that we blue dots in a red sea are quite possibly working harder than you. In my small, rural, ruby red county, the Dems are working as if democracy is on the ballot (spoiler alert: it is). We have 600+ active volunteers who keep the office open six days a week, host events, and support our candidates. We can have a hundred show up at the monthly breakfast. We had the largest contingent in the July 4th parade and a Labor Day parade that was out of this world. And that’s just the Dems—our county has other progressive groups, too, and we’re all working hard, making slow progress to turn the tide.
• Ask yourself how progressive your state might be if the GOP had been lucky enough to grab control at a key time and gerrymander it to the degree Ohio or North Carolina is gerrymandered. Take a look at Democracy Docket’s great explainer on the effect of gerrymandering: Gerrymandering Deep Dive: North Carolina. Could this be a “there but for the grace of God” type situation?
• Think about demographics. Many Red States have large African American and/or LatinX populations. Is it possible that your shaking-the-dust-off-your-feet approach could come across as a little racist to them?
• Recognize that blue dots in red states must work within a coalition that includes people who have voted Republican in the past. Some of these people consider themselves conservatives in a traditional sense of the word. Vitriol, sarcasm, and snobbishness from SOME liberal voices could easily sour their opinion of ALL liberal voices. Don’t bulldoze what we’re building.

Postcards to Voters is just one way to encourage rather than discourage progressives in Red States.

What you COULD do instead

For suggestions, I’m going to start BIG.

I’ve noticed that some people criticizing red states go so far as to argue that progressives should simply pack up and leave, but if progressives in red states took the advice to leave, those states will only become redder. More importantly, if progressives in purple states followed that advice, the country’s situation would get much worse, not better, as states like Georgia are taken out of play.

I would suggest the opposite of abandoning ship—more progressives should move from blue states to purple states where their votes will make a difference. California and New York and Maryland don’t need you—North Carolina and Georgia and Ohio do. Plus, we have amazing progressive cities, our cost of living is generally good, and work-from-home arrangements make it possible for people of many professions to join us.

While a fast influx of progressives moving here would be nice, I’ve been told by many, many people that my incredibly wonderful idea is not so incredibly realistic. Not to worry! I have other less grandiose ideas about how our Blue State Friends can help our situation:

• Look for a social media account from a progressive person or group in a red or purple state and follow them to amplify their message. Comment on what they’re doing. Like their posts. Repost their news. The more interaction they get, the more their posts will be seen. It’s like free advertising!
• Instead of taking potshots about the politicians who have managed to grab power, offer encouragement to the people working for change. In other words, instead of posting something like “Can you believe the losers who elected this nutcase?” post something like, “I know there are many people in the state who do not support this crazy person. We’re pulling for them to turn this situation around!”
• Jump in and stand up for us. When you stumble upon a post that carpet bombs a state or region, speak up. Point out that progressives exist in every state and the ones in red and purple states could use support, not mockery.
• Be on guard for signs that outside groups are stirring the pot. I’ve seen credible evidence that several divisions within the progressive community have been artificially created, and I’ve seen several posts that I believe fit this category.
• Check out the group Postcards to Voters to send reminder notes about pivotal races in a fun, non-judgmental way. This is the group I personally use because they do such an amazing job vetting campaigns to find the ones where postcards will be most effective, and they vet their messaging, too. It’s easy, and every point of contact makes a difference.
• Make a donation to a group that is working to repair the damage—the democratic party in a pivotal county, for example, or the ACLU or any number of groups bringing legal action to protect voting rights and other Blue Values.

So that’s my list. I made it, so of course I think it’s great. But I’m interested in what other people have to say. We blue dots can use all the help, encouragement and support we can get to realize our potential.

Share your ideas!

Sincerely,

A Blue Dot in A Purple State of Mind

(PS, I predict at least one person thinks public shaming is still the way to go.)

(PPS, progressives moving to purple states will always be my favorite idea!